Lenovo has unveiled a new contender in the budding Windows 8 tablet wars this evening—its new ThinkPad Tablet 2 is an Atom-based affair that runs Windows 8 Pro and will be released in October near Windows 8's own October 26 launch date. The business-oriented tablet will come with a stylus, and an optional dock and ThinkPad-style keyboard complete with TrackPoint nub will also be available according to Engadget.

As reported earlier this week by The Verge, the tablet's other relevant specifications include a 10.1" 1366x768 display, a 64GB solid state drive, 2GB of RAM, optional HSPA+ (or LTE on AT&T) wireless support, front- and rear-facing cameras, HDMI output, NFC, and about ten hours of battery life. All of this will come in a package that weighs about 1.3 pounds and is 9.8mm thick. This isn't a powerhouse by current desktop or laptop standards—the RAM, especially, seems anemic for an x86 PC—but it may be an appealing tablet for users and businesses turned off by the features missing from Windows RT.

The original ThinkPad Tablet used an ARM processor and ran Android, but the Tablet 2 will be running new 32nm Atom processors (codenamed Clover Trail) optimized for use in tablets. Clover Trail is directly related to the Medfield processors we saw pop up in Android phones like the Xolo X900 earlier this year, but a second processor core and a more powerful PowerVR SGX 544MP2 GPU add some extra oomph for the larger form factor.

These Atoms should be more or less competitive with ARM in both processing power and power usage, but with the notable advantage of being able to run x86 code. This is less of a selling point on a phone running Android, but it makes all the difference in the world on a tablet running Windows, especially if pricing is comparable to Windows RT tablets. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait and see if this is the case—Lenovo has yet to provide pricing information for the Tablet 2.

60 Reader Comments

I've never been fond of atom, would prefer an i3 at least. Is there that much of a cost difference between an atom and an i3? Or is it space/power considerations. Why are the slates so much more expensive than the atom tablets?

I've never been fond of atom, would prefer an i3 at least. Is there that much of a cost difference between an atom and an i3? Or is it space/power considerations. Why are the slates so much more expensive than the atom tablets?

It's the power consideration--an i3 would chew up a lot more power. I'm just looking forward to a full copy of Windows 8 running on X86 architecture in a tablet format.

I've never been fond of atom, would prefer an i3 at least. Is there that much of a cost difference between an atom and an i3? Or is it space/power considerations. Why are the slates so much more expensive than the atom tablets?

The Atom CPU in this tablet is 2nd generation (codename Clover Trail). It's different from the first-gen Atom CPUs from 2008.

I've never been fond of atom, would prefer an i3 at least. Is there that much of a cost difference between an atom and an i3? Or is it space/power considerations. Why are the slates so much more expensive than the atom tablets?

The Atom CPU in this tablet is 2nd generation (codename Clover Trail). It's different from the first-gen Atom CPUs from 2008.

Yeah, and IMO at least part of the problem with those old Atom-based PCs is that they used an awful chipset/GPU combo (Intel's GMA 950, ugh) and slow-as-molasses 5400RPM hard drives. Atom with an SSD is actually quite snappy for most tasks.

Likewise 2GB of RAM is likely to be the default configuration for most, if not all Windows 8 tablets, as Microsoft has talked about using that configuration (single 2GB DDR2, IIRC -- can't find the source ATM) for power efficiency.

Windows 8 requires less memory than Windows 7. Especially with SSD, the effect of page swapping will be negligible. Less memory also allows battery to last longer, provided there isn't too much paging going on, aside from other benefits -- lower cost and producing less heat. I look forward to seeing the benchmark in October.

Still more likely to hold off for Surface Pro so I can sell my iPad and laptop.

Unless MS has done a major upgrade on DPI scaling, 1080p on a 10" screen is going to be problematic for using desktop apps.

While not perfect (I'd prefer an i3 and the extra thickness a bigger battery would require); this is the closest candidate I've seen to replace my asus eee 1005 netbook (10", 720p, and 11 hrs battery life). Assuming the battery life is good enough I'm probably going to get one.

Is there a significant increase in power consumption between a single 2gb stick of RAM, and a single 4gb stick? I thought the extra drain came from adding a second stick, and imo 4gb is about the bare minimum for a Windows PC these days. I have an Acer W500 currently running Win 7 (will upgrade to 8 once it's out) and it's slow as dirt if I have more than a few things open at once. I know it's due to the RAM, because netbooks using the same CPU and 4-8gb run fine.

Honestly, aside from x86 compatibility, what does this offer professionals? This seems like it's be better off as a consumer device.

Pricing will determine its consumer impact, of course. I don't know about general 'pro' use, but I bet there will be a lot of vertical applications built on this class of device - form factor and usability similar to an iPad, without the business risk of Apple's whimsical policy changes. And that's a relatively price insensitive user base, which is nice for OEMs.

Of course if Microsoft follows Apple's business model too closely, some of those benefits disappear. Is Microsoft allowing side loading of non-RT Metro apps, does anyone know?

I've never been fond of atom, would prefer an i3 at least. Is there that much of a cost difference between an atom and an i3? Or is it space/power considerations. Why are the slates so much more expensive than the atom tablets?

The Atom CPU in this tablet is 2nd generation (codename Clover Trail). It's different from the first-gen Atom CPUs from 2008.

Yeah, and IMO at least part of the problem with those old Atom-based PCs is that they used an awful chipset/GPU combo (Intel's GMA 950, ugh) and slow-as-molasses 5400RPM hard drives. Atom with an SSD is actually quite snappy for most tasks.

They are still quite limited.. I have a little dual core Atom box with a 9400M and an SSD and while it was certainly faster, it still shugs along for any sort of medium to intensive task.

I'm pretty sure the clover Trail based atoms are still in-order CPU's.. Thats the bottleneck, and will continue to be until that changes..

An SSD will vastly decrease seak times, which can make any PC seem snappier.. but you can clearly feel the difference between an i3 and an Atom.. SSD or not..

Unless MS has done a major upgrade on DPI scaling, 1080p on a 10" screen is going to be problematic for using desktop apps.

In Metro, Microsoft have pretty much nailed resolution independence since it was designed from the ground up. Things are a bit more tricky on the desktop - the APIs are there, but a lot of programs don't use it to scale correctly (look for Windows 7/8 on Retina MBP reviews to see what it looks like). Maybe with more high resolution displays, more devs will make their programs resolution-aware...

Honestly, aside from x86 compatibility, what does this offer professionals? This seems like it's be better off as a consumer device.

It offers professionals everything you'd expect from a 10.1" ultrabook, with the option of going without a keyboard. You'd likely end up with one if you are further up the food chain, and your company buys Lenovo for everyone.

Honestly, aside from x86 compatibility, what does this offer professionals? This seems like it's be better off as a consumer device.

It offers professionals everything you'd expect from a 10.1" ultrabook, with the option of going without a keyboard. You'd likely end up with one if you are further up the food chain, and your company buys Lenovo for everyone.

Folks aren't planning on using a 10.1" machine as a workstation.

While true, given the ram and how piggy some apps can be?

I suppose I need to remember that regular "good enough" isnt the same as enthusiast "good enough," though.

Honestly, aside from x86 compatibility, what does this offer professionals? This seems like it's be better off as a consumer device.

It offers professionals everything you'd expect from a 10.1" ultrabook, with the option of going without a keyboard. You'd likely end up with one if you are further up the food chain, and your company buys Lenovo for everyone.

I've never been fond of atom, would prefer an i3 at least. Is there that much of a cost difference between an atom and an i3? Or is it space/power considerations. Why are the slates so much more expensive than the atom tablets?

The Atom CPU in this tablet is 2nd generation (codename Clover Trail). It's different from the first-gen Atom CPUs from 2008.

Andrew Cunningham wrote:

... the RAM, especially, seems anemic for an x86 PC...

The specs will probably hold their own in this configuration, I think. The second gen atoms are actually pretty good (I use one in an always-on server), especially when compared to the first gen ones.

Secondly, I've been running Win8 x86 on an old netbook with worse specs: first gen atom with 1GB DDR2. Surprisingly, it runs pretty well. It just gets slowed down when loading programs (old 5400rpm HDD) and, of course, flash (which stutters horribly). Win8 is still not as fast as Linux is on old hardware, but it comes pretty close to closing the gap.

Unless MS has done a major upgrade on DPI scaling, 1080p on a 10" screen is going to be problematic for using desktop apps.

In Metro, Microsoft have pretty much nailed resolution independence since it was designed from the ground up. Things are a bit more tricky on the desktop - the APIs are there, but a lot of programs don't use it to scale correctly (look for Windows 7/8 on Retina MBP reviews to see what it looks like). Maybe with more high resolution displays, more devs will make their programs resolution-aware...

At least in the Consumer Preview, this isn't the case - apps that don't correct for DPI changes are scaled automatically. (One should note that since the 'scaling' is quite literal, text and graphics for these apps will be blurred at the higher DPI levels.)

MS gets an A for effort, but I'm not sure how this will translate to their tablet sales/metro initiative.

I honestly respect the shit out of MS for their new design language. But at the same time it, ironically, seems to be hardware-dependent, considering the fact that it is touted as an OS across all hardware.

Honestly, aside from x86 compatibility, what does this offer professionals? This seems like it's be better off as a consumer device.

It offers professionals everything you'd expect from a 10.1" ultrabook, with the option of going without a keyboard. You'd likely end up with one if you are further up the food chain, and your company buys Lenovo for everyone.

It has a docking station! Are you saying that the lenovo version will not have an option of a docking station and used as a workstation?

I don't think that's what was meant. I could be wrong here, but when I think of workstation, I think of a powerful machine (this isn't), lots of storage (this hasn't), and either a large display or multiple displays. This seems more like a netbook with a large screen to me. Now, I'm sure you can do work with it (basic productivity, email, internet, calendar, etc), but I can't see it running demanding apps I generally associate with workstations.

I can, however, easily see someone happily consuming content on it, and doing light stuff like Facebook, email, playing games, etc.

edit: Bet it'd be great for OneNote, make a nice digital sketchbook, etc. I hope to get one for my gaming PDFs so I don't have to lug around several pounds of books...

The most interesting thing about this will be the comparison between ARM tablets and this x86 one when both are running the same software. We will finally get a solid way to compare MIPS/Watt between the two platforms. I think Intel said Haswell is when they will be ready to take ARM on, but nonetheless...

The most interesting thing about this will be the comparison between ARM tablets and this x86 one when both are running the same software. We will finally get a solid way to compare MIPS/Watt between the two platforms. I think Intel said Haswell is when they will be ready to take ARM on, but nonetheless...

Well, I think in the end we'll win out. I can only hope that AMD will get in on this (more out of me liking AMD than anything rational), and we'll see more Windows 8 tablet selection. I do wonder if they're using the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows 8...

Does an Atom running at full tilt use less or more power than an i3 running at half speed?

I'm wondering because this doesn't seem to get mentioned and it would make all the difference to me. I don't really care about standby, but if the Atom ends up using more power while running the same tasks as an i3 (or comparable) it seems sensible to go for a better chip set.

It looks a bit thick and weighty for a week Atom tablet? No mention of price either? Which is becoming common with these Windows tablets. That can't be a good thing. I cannot think that a Atom will do real well running a full OS like Windows. I have yet to experience a Atom with that much power. Its certainly not going to in press many from a hardware standpoint.

Does an Atom running at full tilt use less or more power than an i3 running at half speed?

I'm wondering because this doesn't seem to get mentioned and it would make all the difference to me. I don't really care about standby, but if the Atom ends up using more power while running the same tasks as an i3 (or comparable) it seems sensible to go for a better chip set.

Depends on what kind of Atom they use. The smartphone version of Atom consumes 1W at load, while the Netbook and Desktop versions consume 10W. If Intel wanted to, i3 could probably replace with the 10W Atom, but they don't want to cheapen the Core brand like that. There will no doubt be ULV i3 tablets running Win8, but they will probably command $50 more.

Does an Atom running at full tilt use less or more power than an i3 running at half speed?

I'm wondering because this doesn't seem to get mentioned and it would make all the difference to me. I don't really care about standby, but if the Atom ends up using more power while running the same tasks as an i3 (or comparable) it seems sensible to go for a better chip set.

Depends on what kind of Atom they use. The smartphone version of Atom consumes 1W at load, while the Netbook and Desktop versions consume 10W. If Intel wanted to, i3 could probably replace with the 10W Atom, but they don't want to cheapen the Core brand like that. There will no doubt be ULV i3 tablets running Win8, but they will probably command $50 more.

Thanks, very useful info.

Seems like I'll wait for a low power i3 or similar. Seems all the Apple Vs Samsung discussion has helped keep other threads clear of clutter :-)

It can,... It's called running VirtualBox with Android-X86... But it'll run like feces...

But the problem with this machine is 2 fold... an under-performing Atom processor (& as a result, probably no hardware virtualization),... and a PowerVR graphics chipset... Yech! ... It'll run WIN8 like a dog & will likely not be able to run Linux, outside of 2D acceleration (provided the Intel half of the GMA600, which is what I assume it has, PowerVR configuration is covered by open source 2D GMA500 driver)... It'll be plagued by all the problems the Viliv tablets had (Viliv/Yukyung, once an MS award winning partner, is now Out of Business)...

Pass on this tablet fellas,... See if you can pick up a Dell Inspiron Duo (used or overstock), instead. You won't get more than 4 hrs. battery life,... but at least you'll be able to do something with it. Plus the Duo has a built in keyboard,... Bulkier, still Atom (D550),... but decent performance under Linux, and I'm guessing Win8 (came with Win7).

X86 tablets are over-rated... I know... I've had (& still have) several. What you really want is an Android tablet with your Google stuff synced to a laptop or desktop with some decent power. X86 Tabs need 2-3 years at least to be on par with battery life and mobile performance. In that time the tablets will still be improving.

It can,... It's called running VirtualBox with Android-X86... But it'll run like feces...

But the problem with this machine is 2 fold... an under-performing Atom processor (& as a result, probably no hardware virtualization),... and a PowerVR graphics chipset... Yech! ... It'll run WIN8 like a dog & will likely not be able to run Linux, outside of 2D acceleration (provided the Intel half of the GMA600, which is what I assume it has, PowerVR configuration is covered by open source 2D GMA500 driver)... It'll be plagued by all the problems the Viliv tablets had (Viliv/Yukyung, once an MS award winning partner, is now Out of Business)...

Pass on this tablet fellas,... See if you can pick up a Dell Inspiron Duo (used or overstock), instead. You won't get more than 4 hrs. battery life,... but at least you'll be able to do something with it. Plus the Duo has a built in keyboard,... Bulkier, still Atom (D550),... but decent performance under Linux, and I'm guessing Win8 (came with Win7).

X86 tablets are over-rated... I know... I've had (& still have) several. What you really want is an Android tablet with your Google stuff synced to a laptop or desktop with some decent power. X86 Tabs need 2-3 years at least to be on par with battery life and mobile performance. In that time the tablets will still be improving.

Why can't it run Android? There's an x86 fork for the Medfield phones, after all, and it even runs most of the apps, according to the reviews. Is Medfield too different to port over its distro?

These Atoms should be more or less competitive with ARM in both processing power and power usage, but with the notable advantage of being able to run x86 code.

I'm not sure how you can say or justify this without any run specs from Win RT yet. Also seeing as how ARM processors are faster and more efficient that ATOM processors in the mobile space - your logic does not make much sense. Otherwise Intel would be dominating the mobile space - when really (and suprisingly) they have had trouble penetrating the market - as M$ has.

Just because you slap a V8 engine onto a moped - does not mean it will out perform a motorcycle simply because the whole machine is lighter and the engine is high performance.

Hell for that matter you don't even have any final specs for Win 8 Pro - how do you know it won't flop like Win ME did ? M$ never bats anywhere near .1000.

Fucking speculation articles. Wait until the products are on the market then make conjecture based on the results.